1901 Map of Chelan

About this map

The rugged topography of the North Cascades meets the high plateau of the Columbia Basin in this 1901 survey. The deep waters of Lake Chelan dominate the northern landscape, where the Wapato Indian Reservation and the Washington Forest Reserve share a boundary. Settlement patterns are clearly divided by the terrain: early lakeside communities like Chelan and Lakeside contrast with the grid-iron townsite of Waterville on the southeastern plateau. Along the banks of the Columbia River, small outposts such as Entiat, Orondo, and Troy mark the river economy before the age of major dams. The Great Northern railway skirts the southern edge along the Wenatchee River, providing a vital link to the outside world. This map captures the region when travel was still dictated by the formidable Chelan Range and the steep descents of Navarre Coulee and Knapp Coulee.